Trump Signs Executive Orders to Expedite Pipeline Permitting

President Trump traveled to Crosby, TX on April 10 to sign two executive orders that expedite the permitting for crude and natural gas pipeline construction in the United States. PESA Vice Chair Roderick Larson, President & CEO, Oceaneering International, and PESA President Leslie Beyer attended the ceremony.

The first order focuses on the Clean Water Act altering how it is interpreted. It limits action by the states by stopping state-level abuse of water quality certifications and directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clarify how states should follow the Act. It also alters Department of Transportation rules on how liquified natural gas can be shipped by rail and tanker truck.

The second order streamlines the permitting process for infrastructure projects that cross international borders while speeding up the process for approving vital infrastructure including pipelines, roads, and railways.

U.S. crude oil production is now at more than 12 million barrels a day, a number that surpasses the production of both Saudi Arabia and Russia, a dramatic increase from just a few years ago. The lack of pipelines and infrastructure to move oil and gas from production to market has received an increased focus by operators and the services and equipment sector. While much more needs to be done to improve infrastructure, these changes should help expand production in areas like the Permian and the Marcellus formations.